For a hundred years the Dordogne was the border of the Hundred Years’ War, and the castles face each other across it: Beynac held for France, Castelnaud for the English, and they are close enough to see one another from the walls. The valley changed hands so often that the villages below took to fortifying themselves as well, which is why so many of them are still walled.
What this atlas maps on the Dordogne castle route
That is every atlas landmark within 24 km of the line, spanning 7th century to 18th century. Nobody picked them: the geography did.
The best known is Château de Beynac, ranked 574 of the 9,035 landmarks in the atlas by Wikipedia presence and real readership. The oldest is Château de Saint-Laurent-les-Tours, founded c. 650.
The route runs through France. The same ground, without the itinerary: Castles in the Dordogne.
Travelling it
The D703 follows the river most of the way between Bergerac and Souillac. The classic view of the valley is from the terrace at Domme or the ramparts of Beynac, both a steep walk up from the river.
See the route on the map →
